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Porter watches Humber, analyzes AL West

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MLB Network predicts the Astros 2:17

MLB Tonight predicts how the Astros will fare in 2013 in the AL West under new manager Bo Porter

By Brian McTaggart
/
MLB.com |

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- In addition to watching Philip Humber throw a simulated game during the Astros' scheduled day off Monday, manager Bo Porter took some time to begin studying his American League West opponents a little closer.

"It was the first day I started to look at how their Spring Trainings are going and the projected rosters and projected lineups and our projected rotation, lineup and all that," he said.

The one thing that jumped out to Porter was that AL West foes Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles Angels and Texas appear to be heavy on left-handed starting pitching.

"It's a competitive division, and as it stands today, you're probably going to have, out of the 20 starters in the division, eight or nine of them will be left-handed, I know that much," Porter said.

And when it comes to hitters, Porter does not need to be reminded of some of the talented sluggers in the division, especially the Angels.

"They have some guys on the back of their baseball cards that look good," he said.